His Brown Eyes
by kokune
Summary: A few weeks after Devlin is adopted into the Tennyson family, Gwen is ready to return home from her off-world mission. Devlin is nervous about meeting the sorceress, but she is nothing like he expects. Ben10k Universe; Gwevin, Benlie. FINALLY COMPLETE!
1. Nightmares

**Summary: A few weeks after Devlin is adopted into the Tennyson family, Gwen is to return home from her off-world mission. Devlin is nervous about meeting the sorceress, but she is nothing like he expects.**

**AN: Y'all voted, and here it is! The beginnings of my Ben 10,000 Universe Fic! The winners of the poll were both "Really Long OneShot" and "Medium Multi-Chapter Story". Obviously, I opted to go with the second winner. See the end author's note for more details regarding the writing of the story. **

**_IMPORTANT_: This is all assuming that the events of Ken 10 occurred (though in this I changed it so that Julie is Kenny's mother), as well as all of Ben 10: Alien Force. I tweaked it so that Gwen is off on an off-world mission during the occurrences of Ken 10, and that she has never met or seen Devlin. Oh! And Devlin has the material absorbing powers that Kevin has in BTAF, as well as the electricity ones from the original series. The only reason that he is amalgamated in Ken 10 was because he absorbed those aliens in the Null Void. Gwevin as always, with a bit of Benlie. **

**Disclaimer: *sigh* I don't own Ben 10… *sniffle***

* * *

**1. Nightmares**

_"Out of my way, boy!" A long, black tentacle wrapped itself around Devlin's waist before hurling him across the room. He gasped in pain as he hit the wall, tears staining his dark eyes. His own father didn't want him. Kevin 11,000 advanced towards his enemy, Ben 10,000, ready to exact his revenge; a feat that proved more important than the safety of his own flesh and blood. _

There was a slam, and suddenly the room was filled with a bright light. Devlin rolled over, covering his face with his pillow as he squeezed his eyes further shut. "Go away," he mumbled sleepily, though silently thankful that his intruder had awoken him from his nightmare.

"Get up, you sleepyhead!" Kenny, his adopted brother, shouted, leaping onto Devlin's bed.

"Go away, Kenny!" he moaned, burrowing further into the warm sheets.

"But today Aunt Gwendolyn comes home! You _have_ to get up and help us clean the house!" the brown-haired ten-year-old whined. Devlin sighed into the covers.

"Fine; now get out before I throw you out!" he said, looking up. He lifted his head to see feigned fear across Kenny's face. Devlin attempted to scowl back, though it came out as more of a smile.

"Okay, okay; I'm gone," Kenny said, sliding off the bed and backing away, his hands rising in surrender. "Dad wants you downstairs by nine, though," he called as he closed the door behind him. Sitting back against the headboard of his bed, Devlin sighed again. Aunt Gwendolyn, the only Tennyson he had not met, was coming home from her off-world mission today. Actually, she was their cousin, but she and Devlin's adopted father, Ben Tennyson, were so close that it had been decided long before his time that she was to be called 'aunt'.

He felt a tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he wondered why he was so nervous. The rest of the family had accepted him readily, and Gwendolyn was expected to be no different. He had heard the stories, though; things that had happened so far in the past that they might have even be considered legends. Things that people had said about the time before Kevin Levin had turned on the Plumbers, things that had to do with the Tennysons. He had always wondered why they had been so ready to adopt him, someone they barely knew, and someone who had tried to kill Kenny at least twice.

Devlin pushed those thoughts aside and threw off the covers, heading for his shower. Kenny had said that Ben had wanted him down on the lower level at nine to help clean the huge house, and he dared not be late.

After he was dried and dressed, he opened the door to his room and dashed down the flight of stairs that lead to the kitchen. His adopted mother, Julie, was waiting with a toasted bagel in hand and a smile on her face. "Morning, Devlin!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning, Julie," he replied politely. "Do you know where Ben is?" After being adopted, Devlin had decided to take advantage of the few manners that he had in his arsenal. Luckily for him, this made him easily loved by all of the Tennyson and Yamamoto family.

"Last time I saw, he and Kenny were attempting to vacuum the living room," Devlin turned to dash out, but Julie caught him by the collar of his shirt. "No work before breakfast. We don't want anyone getting too tired before the party later." She said, handing him the bagel. Devlin thanked her and sat at the kitchen table, chewing thoughtfully and silently thanking Karma for letting him land in a family who cared for his well-being.

There was a lot of stomping coming from the other room, and the door to the kitchen burst open to reveal a dust-covered Kenny. "Hey mom, have you seen – oh, there you are!" he said, noticing Devlin sitting at the table. "Can you come help us with this?"

"Sure; I'll be right there," he replied, swallowing the last bit of his breakfast. Julie was snickering behind them, and she broke out into a giggling fit as soon as Ben appeared behind his son, covered head to toe in the black soot-like substance.

"The _great_ Ben 10,000 can't figure out how to work a vacuum-cleaner!" she gasped, before collapsing into a fit of laughter. Ben smiled devilishly and walked past his son towards his wife.

"Does someone need a hug?" he asked, grinning evilly.

"N-No!" Julie giggled, tossing a dishtowel at her husband to slow him down and running to the other side of the room. Kenny only sighed and rolled his eyes, though he was smiling at the sight of his parents being silly. Devlin couldn't help but find himself smiling, also.

"Come on, Devlin. Maybe you can figure this out," he grabbed Devlin's hand and pulled him out of the room, leaving the sounds of laughter behind them as Ben continued to chase Julie around the kitchen. When they reached the living room, Devlin had to gasp. It was a mess! There was dust and dirt all over the floor and tabletops, and most of the chairs were black.

"Uh… What happened here?" he asked. How were they going to clean this up in time?

"The vacuum bag, um, kind of exploded," Kenny answered, looking down at his feet.

"…Nice…" was all Devlin could reply, sarcastically, of course.

"Would you just help?" Kenny asked, exasperated.

"Sure; it's not like I have anything better to do," he replied, grinning at his best friend. "Why don't you go grab the broom while I try to revive the vacuum."

"Awesome! Thanks, Devlin!" Kenny ran off in search of the cleaning items, and the black-haired eleven-year-old made his way over to the fried electric appliance sitting rejected in a corner. He crouched beside it, carefully removing the torn-apart cloth bag, hanging limp from under the handle of the machine. He got up and walked to the closet, and upon finding a new one to replace it, he returned to his spot. He attached the new bag, and then positioned the vacuum so that it was facing towards him. Carefully, he shocked it with a bolt of electricity, and it roared to life. Just as it started, Kenny came running back with the broom and dustpan, and they commenced cleaning the living room back up to its former glory. Devlin wouldn't let Kenny touch the newly restored vacuum, though.

Once they were finished, the room looked fantastic. Ben came walking in just after they had brought the last pan-full of dirt to the trashcan, and he congratulated them on their good work. He was leaning on the doorway, surveying their work, when Julie came in behind him and announced that tonight's welcome-home dinner was in the oven. "Looks like you guys worked really hard; the room looks great!"

"Thanks!" All three – Ben, Kenny, and Devlin – responded at the same time. Kenny glared at his dad, a little irked that he and his brother had done all of the work.

Julie noticed this, and began to smirk at her husband. "You didn't help, did you?" she asked.

"Uh… I did… kind of…" Ben responded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Uh-huh, sure," she rolled her eyes and proceeded to drag Ben out of the room with her. "In return for all of your _help_ in cleaning the living room, you get to clean the bathrooms." The boys heard him groan, and they were satisfied that they had gotten their revenge without lifting a finger.

**

* * *

**

They finished cleaning the house around noon, and then started preparing the food for their big welcome-home dinner. After the food was all set out and the rest of the family and friends had arrived (both human and non), they all sat in the spotless living room waiting for the guest of honor to arrive. Everyone was talking excitedly, and Devlin felt slightly out of place among the tight-knit hero family. He was left to himself to contemplate the nervous fluttering in his stomach, and silently dreaded meeting the one Tennyson that still intimidated him. After thinking that, he began to wonder what he had to be afraid of. He realized that it wasn't the meeting itself, nor the actual woman, it was what _she_ would think of _him_. He had heard wonderful stories about Gwen from both Kenny and Ben, but he had no idea what they had told her about him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing, and the room was quickly silenced as they awaited the expected visitor. Everyone was nervous to see Gwen after such a long time, and because they had received no news on her condition or how she was doing, they were slightly worried if she was injured during the mission. Ben rose and made his way to the door, everyone's eyes following him as he walked. He turned the corner and left their field of vision, and everyone strained their ears to hear the first signs of the redhead. There was the sound of the lock turning, and then excitement in the room could almost be felt literally. They heard the door swing open, and Ben give an uncharacteristic "Oof" as he staggered backward into the awaiting family's view. The tall, redheaded sorceress had Ben locked in a bone-crushing hug.

"Ben! I'm so happy to see you!" she squealed before pushing him away. "How have you been, doofus?" she laughed. Ben joined her, and before he had a chance to answer, she turned and saw the rest of the crowd. "Hi everyone!" she greeted excitedly. Her parents raced to her and embraced her simultaneously, and Max was next in line.

"Good to see you, pumpkin," he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling with his jolly attitude.

"How's that arm of yours doing, Grandpa?" she asked, rapping her knuckles against the metal of Max's artificial limb.

"Still holding up!" he said happily, pretending not to notice the brief flash of sadness in his granddaughter's eyes.

That was how the beginning of the evening went; family members greeting Gwendolyn, asking how she was doing, if she had a successful mission. There was so much chaos that she seemed not to even notice Devlin leaning in one of the dark corners of the room. When it was time to eat, Julie entered the room; her pink apron smeared with a sauce of some kind, and banged a wooden spoon on one of her clean metal pots. "Dinner is served!" she announced, the happy feelings radiating from her warm smile into the dishes she had cooked.

The dining room table was just large enough for the huge crowd, and it was piled to the brim with what could be considered an early Thanksgiving feast. There was a huge roasted chicken in the center, surrounded by mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, rolls, salad, and baked beans. At one end, there was an assortment of Asian foods, such as chicken lo-mien, spicy green beans, sugar snap peas, and rice. At the other end, there was a large bowl of soup surrounded by more culinary excellences.

Devlin stood and gaped at the massive amounts of food, never having even dreamed of being able to participate in something like this in the past. As everyone found their seats (thanks to name cards set at every place) Gwendolyn gave Julie a hug after she had removed her apron. "You really have out done yourself this time, Jules," she gushed as she gazed across the table. "Ooh! You made my favorites!"

Once everyone was seated, it was harder for Devlin to avoid Gwen. She sat at the head of the table, able to see everyone. Thankfully, for him, Ben and Max took the seats next to her, her parents took the next two, and Kenny and Julie sat in the next several. When no one was looking, Devlin switched his name card with another one of the huge family, enabling him to sit by down at the other end of the table amongst the adults. He watched Gwendolyn silently, smiling to himself as she told everyone about her mission.

Sometime during the dinner, both Gwen and Ben reached for the macaroni spoon at the same time. Several members of the family watched (others too absorbed in their own conversations) as her eyes began to glow pink and Ben's hand hovered over the Omnitrix for a second. After a few seconds, they burst out laughing and Ben retracted his hand. "You _are_ the guest of honor." He said.

"I think you're just scared you would lose," Gwen replied, scooping a helping on to her plate.

"Am not!" he whined back. In response, Gwendolyn flicked a cheesy noodle at him and smirked. Wanting to avoid an all-out food fight, Max cut in.

"Now kids, let's not start," he warned.

"Yes, Grandpa," she chimed, not taking her eyes off Ben and still smirking evilly. Devlin had to chuckle to himself about how much the cousins acted like children. Maybe Gwendolyn wasn't as bad as he had thought.

**

* * *

**

It was late when the last of the relatives departed, leaving only Gwendolyn, Ben, Kenny, Devlin, Julie, and Max. Kenny had fallen asleep on the couch sometime after dinner and was now on his back, a trail of drool dripping from the corner of his open mouth. Gwen, Ben, and Julie were in the kitchen cleaning up, and Gwen peered through the doorway at her nephew. "Now who does that remind you of?" she asked Ben, chuckling slightly.

"I never drooled," he stated simply, walking past her with a few more dirty plates. Devlin had managed to stay out of sight, and Gwen had not seen him the entire time. He had begun actually hiding as the family began leaving, and was now crouched behind the couch listening to the adults talk and watching through the cracks in between the cushions.

"_Sure_ you didn't, Ben," Gwendolyn laughed, Julie joining in. The conversations after that became boring, consisting of random things about her mission, Ben's hero work, and how Max was fairing. Devlin was beginning to drift off to sleep in his hiding place, when Gwen asked a question that peaked his interest. "So where is the newest member of the family?"

"I'm not sure," Ben replied. "He is probably off somewhere sleeping, like Kenny. You can meet him in the morning." Devlin felt himself give an inaudible sigh of relief at the fact that they were not going to come looking for him.

"So he really his Kevin's son?" she asked, not in her normal happy tone. She sounded tired and slightly sad, and Devlin wished that he could see her, but she had moved out of his hiding place's field of view.

"I'm afraid so," Ben sighed, also not as perkily as usual. Devlin grew a little sad at the way that they were talking about him. He knew that he had done some bad things, and that his father had also, but that was no reason to judge him… right? He sighed inwardly and continued listening.

"Do you think there's any way that…?" Gwen asked; the fleeting hope for something lost was evident in her voice.

"I don't think so, pumpkin," It was Max who now spoke, his tone comforting. Devlin heard what sounded like a faint sniffle, possibly a quiet sob, before Kenny gave a loud yawn and stretched, rolling off the couch. Devlin quickly lay in position and pretended to be sleeping as Kenny startled up.

"What?! What happened?!" he gasped, jumping to his feet. Julie was holding back chuckles as she came walking quickly to her son.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked, finally managing to calm herself.

"Uh, where'd everyone go?" he asked, still not fully awake. Devlin felt it was his turn to enter the picture, and pretended to sit up groggily.

"What's happening?" he asked, raising his head above the back of the sofa. He attempted to slur his words with sleep, and succeeded in fooling his family.

"Hey, Devlin; we were just wondering where you had ended up," Julie said, turning to her other son.

"I must've fallen asleep back here. What time is it?" he asked.

"It's around eleven. You two really should go up and get ready for bed," she answered. Kenny attempted to stand, obviously still in a dreamy state as he stumbled. "Devlin, can you help Kenny up the stairs?"

"Sure, Julie," he replied, standing and walking over to his best friend. "Come on, Kenny," he gripped the brown-haired boy's shoulders and guided him towards the stairs, careful not to look into the kitchen as he passed the doorway.

"What about Aunt Gwendolyn's presents for us?" Kenny mumbled sleepily, attempting to turn around. Devlin held firm and continued to lead him up the stairs.

"_If_ she brought you any- and I thought I raised you better than to jump to conclusions like that- you can get them in the morning. Now go to bed," Julie called, as the boys were now on the upper level of the house.

After Devlin got Kenny ready for bed and under his covers, he commenced his nightly routine as well. Once safely tucked in the warm sheets of his bed in his own room, he began to think about the days happenings. What had Aunt Gwendolyn been asking about regarding him? More questions swam through his head, though as minutes ticked by he began to realize just how tired he was. Soon, he found himself sound asleep, hoping no nightmares haunted him tonight.

* * *

**AN: Hope y'all enjoyed! I won't be posting many author's notes after this, but I just wanted to say that yes, I know I should be working on "Deep Shades of Violet", but I have kind of hit a brick wall with that one. This is something I had stashed deep in my hard drive, and I decided to dust it off to get rid of the writer's block. That's why I closed the poll early. It's not my main focus at the moment, but if y'all like it, I'd be willing to pick up the pace with it. :)**


	2. Haunted

**2. Haunted**

…_Devlin…?_

…_Devlin, honey?_

"Devlin…?"

"Go away, Kenny," Devlin mumbled sleepily, rolling over and covering his head with his blanket. There was a snort from the side of his bed, and he quickly realized, even in his groggy state, that it was not his adopted brother standing in his room. "Kenny…?"

"Guess again, short stuff," a rather pretty female voice replied. Devlin flipped the bedspread off his head and peered at his guest, his eyes widening when he saw that it was Gwendolyn.

"Uh… Hi, Aunt Gwendolyn," He greeted rather shyly.

"Your mom sent me to come get you guys for breakfast," she replied. As he fully gained consciousness, Devlin saw that his 'aunt' was almost entirely clad in blue, her long red hair with streaks of blonde tied in a ponytail. She had her arms crossed at her chest and a smile across her lips, all traces of the sadness from the night before gone. "Why don't you get ready while I go attempt to rouse Kenny," she said, a warm smile on her face.

"Yes, ma'am," Devlin replied politely, throwing his covers off as Gwen left. It took him a record time of fifteen minutes to shower, dry, and dress, and he was soon running down the hall to see if Kenny had beaten him. As he passed the top of the stairs, he heard bits and pieces of conversation floating up from the kitchen, but he kept going instead of stopping to listen.

He opened Kenny's door without knocking, prompting a girlish shriek to erupt from the startled ten-year-old. This made Devlin begin to laugh uncomfortably as Julie rushed into the room. Upon seeing her adopted son gasping for breath and clutching his sides with a huge smile on his face, along with the lack of color on her son's, she just sighed and retreated back to the hallway. A faint "What happened?" from Gwen could be heard from downstairs, and Julie's reply of "Devlin's torturing Kenny, again," made Devlin break into more laughter.

"Not funny, Devlin," Kenny mumbled, regaining composure.

"Dude, yes it was; you should have seen your face!" he replied, finally managing to stifle the chuckles racking his body.

"Anyway," Kenny huffed, "Are you ready to eat?"

"I was ready before you. That's why I'm here,"

"Oh, really?"

"Duh; can you not see me standing here?"

"Okay… Race ya'!" Kenny yelled before bolting out the bedroom door past his brother.

"Not fair!" Devlin whined, racing after him. Using his somewhat enhanced speed (due to absorbing and XLR8 in the Null Void), he quickly caught up to him on the stairs.

"No running on the stairs!" Ben yelled from the kitchen as he heard them coming, but the boys ignored him. Seeing that Devlin was catching up, Kenny stuck his foot out to trip his brother, resulting in Devlin doing a face-plant on the carpet at the foot of the stairs. Kenny dashed past to his chair. Gwen was about to go to the fallen boy's side and see if he was okay, but Devlin quickly got up and raced to his chair as well.

"You cheated!" he said, pointing an accusing finger at Kenny.

"Did not," he scoffed back, a small smile spreading across his lips.

"Then what was that?" Devlin asked, slightly hurt that his brother would try something like that.

"Bending the rules," Kenny stated simply, not even looking to see Devlin's reaction and reaching to grab a piece of bacon off the plate on the table. Julie swatted his hand away. If he had looked, he would have seen the black-haired boy open his mouth to protest, and then after processing the explanation, close it in frustration. He couldn't argue with that logic. Gwen started to smirk, Ben joining in with a chuckle.

"Either way, I still don't like it," Devlin huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.

"That's just 'cause you lost," Kenny responded. Devlin was about to shoot back a counter-remark, but Julie silenced them.

"Now boys, no arguing at the table," she scolded.

"Sorry, mom," Kenny said hanging his head in dramatic remorse.

"Sorry, Julie," Devlin apologized, mimicking Kenny's drama. He sneaked a look at him, managing to stick his tongue out at his adopted brother without the Asian woman noticing.

"Mom!" Kenny whined, "Devlin's mocking me!"

"What?" Devlin asked, looking up at Julie and blinking innocently. Gwen actually let out a laugh at that one, and was amused at how similar the boys' attitude toward Julie was to how Kevin and Ben acted to her as teenagers. Thinking about their young plumber days made her slightly sad, but she dared not show it and ruin such a happy moment here.

"Guys," Julie warned, and immediately the boys quieted down. Turning to Gwen and Ben leaning side-by-side on the counter top, she added, "Why don't you sit down. It's almost ready," She turned around to reveal the heaping platter of pancakes in her hand.

"Mmm; looks delicious, Jules," Ben smiled, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. Devlin and Kenny groaned, joined by Gwen as she sat down. Devlin was a little surprised by this, and smiled.

As soon as the 'okay' was given, the pigging-out began. Devlin didn't realize how hungry he was after barely eating anything the night before, due to avoiding Gwen. He was glad that all the butterflies from yesterday were gone, and happily began to dig into the meal. Seeing the rate of the food being consumed by his brother, Kenny immediately took it to be a competition and began to shove food rapidly down his throat, also. Noticing this, as well as the fast pace at which the pancakes were disappearing, Ben had to cut in. "Slow down, guys, or someone is going to end up choking." Instead of answering, both boys slowed their chewing silently.

**

* * *

**

Once everyone had finished eating, they all sat around table, completely full. Kenny suddenly sat up, remembering something. "What's you bring us from off-world, Aunt Gwendolyn?" he asked excitedly.

"Your birthday was only a couple of weeks ago. What makes you think that I got you any more stuff?" she laughed back.

Kenny began to pout, but answered her anyway, "…Because you love us?" Devlin was listening silently, secretly a little shocked that Kenny had included him in that last statement. He had no idea if Gwendolyn loved him, seeing as they had only just met. The concept of a real family was still new to him, and still slightly confusing. Gwen only laughed again.

"I believe you're holding high standards, Kenny! If those are the conditions for keeping you two for nephews, then I'm glad I packed a few extra things on the return trip." As she said the second thought, she looked right at Devlin, which made the butterflies return briefly. Julie glared at her son for being rude, but didn't say anything.

"Really? You brought us stuff?" Kenny said, excitedly jumping from the table.

"And you can have presents _after _you help clean the kitchen, for being so pushy, young man," Julie scolded. Devlin remained quiet as he got up and brought his plate to the sink, dumping its contents in the garbage disposal and beginning to rinse it. Kenny followed, still pouting. "Devlin can sit with us in the living room. He hasn't been properly acquainted with Gwendolyn yet, and he was _well behaved_." Devlin put his plate in the sink and followed the adults out towards the aforementioned seating area.

As they walked, Devlin kept sneaking glances at the redhead in front of him. This was it; this was the moment of truth. Julie and Ben sat in the loveseat, while Gwendolyn perched herself on the couch. She smiled at the nervous black-haired boy, and patted the cushion next to her. "Come sit." Devlin slowly made his way over to the spot next to the sorceress, and sat down cautiously. Gwen laughed, "Oh, I don't bite." This got him to smile, and he felt himself relax slightly. "So, how do you like living with my dork-of-a-cousin, and his lovely wife?" Julie blushed at the compliment, and Ben stuck his tongue out immaturely.

"It's really nice here, and I like hanging out with Kenny," Devlin replied softly, suddenly becoming shy.

"Well—" Gwen was cut off when the brown-haired ten-year-old came bounding into the room, and flopped onto the couch.

"Presents!" There was an awkward pause, before everyone burst out laughing at the innocently joyous expression on Kenny's face.

"Fine, fine," Gwen managed through giggles. She stood and made her way towards the stairs, "I'll be right back," she turned to continue up, but paused. "Devlin, do you want to help me carry some stuff?"

Devlin hesitated, but then stood and followed her. "Sure, Aunt Gwendolyn."

"Excellent," and with that, the two made their way up to the second level of the house. When they entered Gwen's room, the first thing Devlin noticed was how _dark_ it was. Almost the entire place was decorated in a navy blue, and the curtains were closed, giving the room an eerie feel from the small slivers of light. When Gwen threw back the curtains, it did little to brighten things up. The atmosphere slightly shocked the boy, as he had expected something more… perky from such a peppy woman. "The things are in my closet. I'll be just a moment." The redhead disappeared into the large double-doored second room, and left Devlin to look about.

The item that caught his eye most was a small, framed picture sitting on the mahogany dresser. It was the only photograph in the room, and its vibrant colors greatly contrasted everything else in the place. He made his way carefully over towards it, and picked it up, almost gasping at what he saw.

There were three people in the picture, and they all looked to be teenagers. On the left was a boy in a green sport-jacket, with brown hair and a goofy smile on his face. Devlin could make out the Omnitrix on his wrist, so he assumed that this was Ben when he was younger. The teenager was giving bunny-ears to the second person in the picture, a taller boy with long, dark hair and obsidian eyes and a mischievous grin on his features. He was well-built, and wore a dark shirt and jeans. In the picture, he was sticking his tongue out at Ben, and had his arms around a third figure. She had long, red hair, and wore a blue sweater and skirt. She looked to be in the process of rolling her eyes at the other two boys' antics, but had a content smile on her face. Obviously, it was Gwen.

"It's hard to believe that was years ago," a voice said softly behind him. Devlin jumped in surprise, and almost dropped the picture as he turned to face the redhead. "It seems like just yesterday." She took a deep, shaky breath, and seemed to shake herself. "No use dwelling on the past, though." She turned, and Devlin could just make out the glint of a tear on her cheek.

"I'm sorry for asking, but who's the other boy in the picture?" He asked nervously, and then instantly regretted it.

"You mean Ben?" Gwen replied softly, making her way back over to the closet after dropping a package on the bed.

"N-no, the other one; the one with dark hair," Gwen hesitated in her step, but didn't turn around.

"That, Devlin, was your father," she replied softly, before disappearing back into the closet. Devlin looked back down at the picture, and couldn't help but notice how happy Kevin looked in the scene. It was nothing like the stoic, cold man that he had grown up with. He sighed, and gently placed the picture back on the dresser, before making his way over to the bed to collect the packages.

"Alright," Gwen said as she emerged once more, "I think that's it." Her voice was back to the happy note it always seemed to carry, and she gathered up a second bag before slinging it over her shoulders. "You ready?" Devlin nodded. "Good, then let's get this over with." The boy had no idea what she meant by that, but, then again, he hadn't seen Kenny when he received new presents.

**

* * *

**

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, both were almost tackled by an over-excited ten-year-old. "What'd you bring? What'd you get us?" he kept repeating as he bounced up and down in front of them.

"Jeez, Kenny, calm down! You'll get your present in a second!" Gwen laughed as she made her way back over to the sofa, Devlin trailing not far behind. He was still slightly shaken-up by the events in Gwendolyn's room, but the sorceress seemed completely unfazed and acted as though nothing had happened. She grinned as Kenny didn't even seem to hear her. "Yes, Ben, he _definitely_ is your son."

"Why thank you, Gwen," her cousin replied politely, though there was a mocking glint in his eye. "I take pleasure in the fact that we bear such resemblance to each other." Kenny paused in his excited movements only long enough to look at his father strangely. The redhead rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I'm _still_ not entirely sure how I'm related to you…" she laughed, before dropping her bags in the center of the family room. Kenny made a dive for them, but was caught by the collar of his shirt by his father.

"You have fifteen seconds before I unleash him, Gwen," he said gravely, shaking his head. Julie, who was sitting on the couch, stifled her laughter. With this warning, the sorceress began furiously digging through her packages. "Ten seconds," with an unhappy grunt, she moved onto the next bag, still digging. "Five… four… thre—"

"Found it!" Gwen emerged from one of the boxes with an odd cube-shaped object that was glowing an eerie purple. Kenny's face visibly fell at the sight of it.

"Aw, Aunt Gwendolyn, it's not another one of those creepy dog things, is it?" he whined, shoulders slumping. This earned him a laugh from Ben and Gwen, and a rap on the back of the head from Julie.

"Kenneth Benjamin Tennyson! That is no way to receive a gift from a family member!" she snapped.

"But, Julie, you said yourself that you 'hated that stone mutt and wished it would spontaneously crumble into dust'," Ben chuckled, using air quotes for added comedy and ducking when his wife blushed and tried to take a swing at him, as well. Gwen just laughed and shook her head at the two.

"For the record, _no_, this is not another 'stone mutt'." She rolled her eyes at her cousin's wife, grinning in response to the glare she received back. "This, my dear Kenny, is a hyper-jump cube; level six technology – extremely advanced stuff." She knelt down in front of her gaping little cousin, who stared at the little glowing object in awe.

"So… what does it do…?" he asked, never taking his eyes off the present. He made a grab for it, but the redheaded sorceress quickly stood to keep it out of his reach.

"It will jump you to wherever you wish in the blink of an eye, similar to a transporter disc." She said, twirling the little thing with her fingers.

"Cool!" the brunette exclaimed, making another grab for it.

"Gwen!" Julie exclaimed at the same time, staring at the other woman with a mixture of confusion, worry, and shock.

"What?" Gwen shrugged, continuing to keep the cube from the boy's reach as he kept jumping for it. "I had Grandpa Max reprogram it so that he can only jump to and from places inside the base." Julie visibly sighed with relief, happy that she would still be able to somewhat keep track of her son. Ben rolled his eyes at his wife.

"No fun!" Kenny whined, as Gwen let him catch the hyper-jump cube. The ten-year-old immediately took the object in his hands, eyes wide and happy demeanor returned. "So how does it work?" he asked.

"Figure it out, squirt; now, onto Devlin." Gwen responded, ruffling the brunette's hair fondly and diving back into her bags. After a few moments without coming up with anything, she shook her head and sighed, glaring down at everything spread out before them. Kenny and Ben were absorbed in trying to figure out the mechanics of the ten-year-old's little cube, and Julie had gone to get a mug of tea from the kitchen. "I could have sworn it was here…" she mumbled, going back through the first bag once more.

"Really, Aunt Gwen, it's alright."Devlin replied softly, still standing where he was. She turned to look up at him with an expression he didn't understand, before returning to rummaging through the things.

"I could never forget you, Devlin; I want you to know that. It's in here somewhere, I know…" she said the first part so quietly that the black-haired boy thought for a moment that he had imagined it. Before he could ask her what she meant, however, Gwen stood back up, a look of triumph on her face. "Got it," in her hand, she held a little oval object with a small round button in the center. She held it out to Devlin, that same confusing expression on her face for just a moment, before she laughed slightly. "Go on; it's not going to bite you."

Reluctantly, Devlin reached out and took it from her, rolling it over in his hands a few times and examining it; trying to figure out what it was. Then, a thought struck him. There was no way… "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, gazing up at the sorceress.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking you think it is… then yes." She laughed again. "Go on, press it." Sure enough, when he did, the air in front of him shimmered a little bit before a hoverboard appeared before the shocked eleven-year-old.

"But… how did you… and I…" he stammered, staring in wonder at the beautiful - yes, he had just mentally described the sight of the machine as beautiful – piece of technology before him. It was his hoverboard, all right, but just… modified a bit. The old anti-gravity thrusters on the bottom had been completely replaced with a newer, more advanced model; the old, chipping silver paint that had once coated it had been replaced with a chrome finish; the worn leather footholds had been re-laced with a synthetic strap. It was, for lack of a better word, amazing.

Gwen put an arm around the little boy's shoulders as he stared. "Your father liked to go fast," she said almost silently. "I assume – if you're even related to him a shred – that you do to. Why don't you take it out for a spin?" she smiled down at him serenely, and, with a nod of encouragement, Devlin did just that.

**

* * *

**

That night, Devlin laid back in bed and thought over all that had happened. He had learned things about his father without even realizing it at the time, but, here in the silence and darkness, he did. So Kevin had been close with the Tennysons – Gwen in particular. They had been friends. His father had liked to go fast, just like him, and he had looked somewhat like Devlin did now when he had been a teenager.

He had learned other things, too. His aunt wasn't scary in the least, and she seemed to like him more than Julie and Ben, even. She had known what he would like, how he was, and what he was thinking. He knew right away that he loved her. And – even for a split second – he wished that she was his 'mother' instead of Julie. It was so quick, though, that he didn't even realize that he wanted it.

The black-haired eleven-year-old rolled over in the knotted sheets and closed his eyes once more. A bolt of lightning flashed outside the little window above his bed, but he didn't let that worry him. Tonight, there would be no dreams of the demon father he loathed.

But where he was sleeping peacefully, a woman down the hall was tossing and turning, being haunted by nightmares of a devil that she loved, a hope that she shattered, and a son she had lost.

* * *

**AN: Gosh, I am so sorry that this has taken me so freaking long to put up. I just... I don't know. Well, I really hope it was worth the wait. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in less time. :)**

**Please review!**


	3. Searching

**3. Searching**

_Crash!_

Devlin shot up in bed, panting and covered in sweat. Throwing off the suddenly-too-heavy covers, he slipped out of bed, flinching as yet another bolt of white lightening lit up his room.

_Boom!_

Thunder shook the base once again, causing the young black-haired boy to jump again. If there was one more thing he hated, it was storms—their anger reminded him too much of his father, their violence his rage, their spontaneity his temper. He shivered. There was no way he would be able to fall back asleep tonight.

Still trembling slightly, he decided to make his way to the bathroom, needing a splash of cool water to drive the sudden images of Kevin from his mind as the house shook yet again. He silently cracked open his door, before padding out into the carpeted hall toward his destination. As he passed his family's various rooms, he smiled softly too himself—they were all sleeping peacefully, blissfully content with their own lives. Never were they plagued by night terrors or the looming threat of evil on their shoulders. Never did they have to live with the weight of another's past mistakes bearing down, crushing. _But, no_, Devlin thought, _he_ _will not crush me—I am not my father_. _I will _not_ become Kevin_.

The storm had stirred up old fears, driving away the happiness of the day before.

As he made his way closer to the bathroom, however, he noticed that not all of the Tennysons were asleep. There was a flickering light illuminating the hallway from the crack at the bottom of one door. Gwendolyn was still awake. Devlin shrugged, not wanting to bother his aunt—what she was doing at this hour was none of his business—and continued onwards.

After an awakening splatter and a cool sip of water, he began to make his way back to his own bed. Now that he was awake, there was no sense in going back to sleep, and his plan was to look over a few of the books Julie had gotten him shortly after he had been adopted into the family. Having grown up in the Null Void and later on the streets, there had been little time for formal learning past what his father had taught him—and with Kevin's own limited education, that had been very little—Devlin had never attended real school. The Tennysons had promised to enroll him in Kenny's class for the start of the next year, but he would have to catch up on what he had missed in all this time. The prospect of the extensive amount of reading and work did not sadden him in the least—he _wanted_ to learn; he wanted to be normal.

Despite being wrapped up in his own thoughts, as he passed by Gwendolyn's room this time, Devlin thought he heard a small noise. It was impossible to tell over the deafening thunder, so he stopped and pricked his ears, just in case. Sure enough, it came again, and the black-haired boy realized suddenly that it was emanating from behind his door aunt's door. There was a moment of debate as he warred with himself—part of him wanted to make sure everything was alright, and another half just wanted warm covers and a history book. Eventually, the former won out, and he gently tapped on the door.

After a moment that seemed to last too long, Gwen appeared, wiping her eyes and gazing, surprised, down at the uncertainly-fidgeting Devlin. "Did I wake you, dear?" she asked softly, her voice strong but thick with emotion. Suddenly, all Devlin wanted to do was hug her, comfort her, protect her from the unknown threat making her cry. Still, he stayed rooted in his spot.

"No, Aunt Gwendolyn; is everything okay?" he blinked up at her, unsure.

"Yes, I'm fine, but thank you for checking on me. It was very sweet," she replied, smiling lightly, her eyes still sad. Gwendolyn glanced back at something in her room still hidden from Devlin by the door. "It's late; you should be in bed—"

_Crack!_

Devlin jumped as yet another shock of thunder ripped through the base, before glancing up at his aunt, slightly embarrassed at his reaction. For a reason he could not name, he did not want to show fear it front of her. Gwendolyn, however, had noticed his reaction, and gazed down at him with an expression he could not name. It wasn't pity; no, he had seen that look so many times before. This was different. "You don't like storms, hm?" She asked, seeming to debate something before cracking her door open a bit more—enough to let Devlin see the inside of the room, where he could make out the glow of what could have been an old-fashioned laptop sitting on the bed casting an eerie light on the dark room. "I don't either. Would you like to wait it out with me? We could keep each other company until it passes." She held out her hand and smiled again. Without hesitating, Devlin took it, and Gwendolyn led the dark-haired boy to her bed, closing the door behind her.

As his aunt pulled up the comforter at the foot of her bed to make a nest for him, Devlin eyed the piece of technology in front of him, all uneasiness from earlier momentarily forgotten. The screen had gone black, and by the time both were settled in to weather out the storm, he was ready to burst with questions and itching to get his hands on it. "Is that _really_ an old computer?" he asked, eyes wide as he looked up at Gwendolyn. "Kenny told me they had all been replaced by holo-pads—I had no idea there were still some around! Does it still work?" The redheaded sorceress felt a pang of longing—if there was one thing Devlin had inherited from his father besides his looks, it was his love of technology.

"Of course it does," she replied, "Ke—A old friend of mine kept the programming up to date until recently." The hundred-watt grin her response was met with almost made the resurfacing memories worth it. Almost, excepting the fact that his smile was so much—too much—like Kevin's.

The eager young boy reached for the laptop, but froze midway, uncertain once more. "May I…?"

"Go ahead, dear. Just be careful what you get into; I've had that computer for a long, long time," The implications of her warning were lost on her nephew as he became immersed in the well-taught old dog. Soon, the raging nightmare outside was forgotten, and Gwen watched, both fascinated and saddened, as the black-haired boy curled up at her side discovered a long-ancient Sumo Slammers game not-so-discreetly uploaded by one of the two men in her life. As the hours passed in relative silence—only the occasional sound effect permeated the darkness—Devlin's head began to droop, even as he fought to stay awake and pass yet another level. When the computer began to slip off his lap, though, Gwendolyn decided to intervene. "Come on, dear—time for bed," she said gently, pausing the game and softly closing the laptop.

"No… Five more minutes…" Devlin mumbled sleepily, his eyes already slipping closed once more.

Deciding not to risk moving the little boy for fear of waking him, Gwen simply pulled the covers of her own bed closer and kissed his forehead without thinking. "It will be here in the morning. Rest up, now—I'm sure Kenny has a big day planned for tomorrow." The only response she received was a soft snore.

* * *

_Aunt Gwendolyn, do you know where—_

_Shush, Kenny—he's in here. Now let's go downstairs before we wake him. _

Devlin, still half asleep and battling with consciousness, heard a door slowly creak close, leaving him in silence. He was already slowly waking, though, and there was no returning to sleep now. After a moment to gather his bearings—apparently, he had spent the night in Gwendolyn's room, and as he stretched he peered around in the semi-dimness of the early morning. During both the night and the day before, he had not really had much of a chance to survey the place his aunt called home for what little time she spent on-world. From what he could gather, the sorceress had spent the last decade or so traveling, taking on every remote Plumber operation offered. To Devlin's young mind, it seemed that she was running from. And yet, it was none of his business to say, so he kept his thoughts to himself and moved his brain to another, more immediate subject.

As he gazed throughout the small but cozy space, he noticed that it was mostly bare, and did not look like it had been lived in and loved in quite some time. There were only a select few personal items scattered about in an almost methodical way—the picture he had noticed the day before, a hairbrush, a small book covered in strange writing, a jewelry box. A bookshelf took up one corner of the room, sparsely filled with tomes both new and old, as well as little knick-knacks that could have been souvenirs from anywhere. From what he could tell, most of the drawers in the spotless dresser were empty, and through the half-opened closet door he could see only a few things hanging. The heavy color scheme and all-around empty feel of the room was nothing that he would ever associate with the vibrant and kind woman he had come to know over the past two days.

As he let his thoughts wander, Devlin realized that he could hear his family bustling about downstairs, trying in vain to keep quiet for his sake. He felt his face grow hot with embarrassment as it occurred to him that Gwen must have told them about his escapade the night before—there would be no end to the teasing he would receive from Kenny. With a sigh, he decided to wait a bit longer before facing the music. For now, everyone thought he was still asleep, and he planned to take full advantage of that has he reached for his aunt's old laptop.

Fifteen minutes into his resumed game, though, the black-haired boy was becoming frustrated with the machine's increasingly slow performance. It seemed that the old dog hadn't been used for such purposes in a very long time, and with most of the recent file-space taken up by newer things, the computer was having trouble coping Sumo Slammer's high graphics demand. Devlin saved and closed his game, an idea forming in his head. It was apparent that whoever had been keeping the computer's processors up to date had long-since stopped, and—despite having little by way of book-smarts—Devlin _did_ have a good head on his shoulders when it came to technology. Maybe it would be a nice gesture to spruce up Gwen's laptop a bit, as a small thank-you for comforting him the night before.

With that goal in mind, he began sieving through various files, trying to find the information he needed to get started before he had to face the day. Though he tried to respect his aunt's privacy—this _was_ her computer, after all—one folder under the Recently Viewed category caught his attention: _Kev's Movies_. Devlin blinked, refreshing the page to make sure he was seeing correctly. He knew that his father had been close with the Tennyson's, but that didn't mean anything… "Kev" wasn't necessarily a nickname for Kevin. Or so he kept telling himself. Still, despite his best efforts to forget it and move on, Devlin found his insatiable curiosity winning out over any common sense he had left. He clicked the folder, revealing a list of hundreds of old video files dating back over twenty years.

_This is a bad idea. This is a very, very bad idea_, he thought.

Devlin feared his father—he had been screamed at, beaten, and unloved—but, as he glanced over at the picture resting on his aunt's dresser, he found himself wondering who this other man was. This other Kevin—one who had made a life with the Tennysons long before he had ever been born. Uncertainly, he clicked the first video file on the list, the oldest, vaguely worried at what Gwendolyn would do if she were to catch him. There was no turning back now, though.

* * *

_The picture was black, but suddenly a low, masculine voice could be heard over a din of background noise. "How do I know it's working?"_

_"The little green light should be on—that'll tell you the recording has started." A young, female tone replied. _

_"But the screen's all dark!" the first whined, and there was the sound of some shuffling._

_"…The lens-cap is still on, Kevin…" One could practically hear the eye-roll in the girl's reply, and Devlin felt his breath catch ever so slightly at the mention of his father's name. Suddenly, picture filled with color as something—the forgotten cover— was removed from the camera's eye, and the screen titled upward to show a sheepishly confused young man gazing downward into the film. Devlin recognized him from the photograph of his aunt and adoptive father's teenaged years. "And I thought you were supposed to be the tech genius." Kevin turned to someone at his side and stuck out his tongue at his offender, the camera following a second behind his gaze to reveal a much younger Gwen rolling her eyes yet again. "You're so immature."_

_"But you love me, anyway!" Kevin teased, the view skewing as he leaned into kiss her cheek, showing a sideways glimpse at what appeared to be an RV in a camp ground. The area was covered in various tables and chairs, a large fire roaring in the middle of it all as various people and aliens milling about, laughing and chatting. _

_"Gross, guys! Come on, seriously?" A third voice piped up as another figure appeared to be walking toward the other two. Devlin recognized him immediately as a green-clad Ben. _

_"Shut up, Tennyson—It's my party. I can do whatever I want." Kevin smugly replied, going in for another kiss with the blushing redhead. _

_"My eyes! They burn!" Ben covered his face as he began to back away, only to trip over a chair and fall rearward, resulting in more laughter from his cousin and her boyfriend. The lens turned upward, once again showing Gwen and Kevin._

_"Do you think we should go help him?" Gwen asked, though she did not seem all that worried about the brown-haired teen now sprawled in the mud. _

_"Nah, he's savior of the universe, remember? He can take care of himself," They chuckled at what seemed to be a shared private joke, and the video timed out as his aunt leaned her head on his father's shoulder. _

* * *

Devlin sat for a few moments, staring at the blank screen before him. That was not the monster he knew—no, this was a different, better Kevin. Someone loved, someone cherished, someone with a family. Distantly, he noted that the stories he had heard about his Aunt Gwendolyn and father had been true. Glancing at the clock, he saw that only a few minutes had passed—funny, he thought; it seemed like a lifetime. Already in over his head, he picked at time's scab and opened another portal to the not-so-long-forgotten past.

* * *

_The scene shifted around what appeared to be a free-standing outdoor garage, cracked concrete floor littered with various tools ranging from earthly origin to beyond. It passed over what appeared to be a severely-enhanced vintage muscle car to rest on a small figure curled up in one of the tattered overstuffed chairs set up in a corner. She was clad in baggy lounge clothes, bare feet tucked under her, red hair thrown in a sloppy ponytail, and glasses on as she continued on, obliviously absorbed in the book she was reading. The scene zoomed in as she turned the page, tucking a loose strand of wild hair behind her ear, only to have it fall back down again. Suddenly, the serene silence was broken by the buzzing of a cell phone, causing both the teenagers in the room to jump slightly. As Gwen reached to answer the new text, she glanced up and noticed that she was being filmed. "Kevin!" She said, exasperated, as she began typing a message. "I knew it was a bad idea to give you that camera for your birthday… I look horrible! Stop filming." There was some shuffling, a jerk to the picture, and a less-than-manly yelp as Kevin tripped over something in his messy garage while trying to make his way over to her. _

_"You look beautiful, Gwen, as always," he assured her, tripping again. "Damn it!" The young Anodite suppressed a giggle, effectively covering with a dramatic sigh._

_"You really should clean this place up a little, before you kill yourself," Gwen's phone vibrated again, and her fingers flew over the keys as she replied. From somewhere off-camera, there was a loud crash, followed by a surprised cry. "…or Ben."_

_Kevin sighed, completely ignoring her second comment. "But that's so boring!" Another buzz from the cell. "Who are you texting, anyway? I'm trying to have a meaningful conversation, here, and you're just chatting it up with one of your friends."_

_Gwen glanced up and grinned cheekily, "Emily is helping me pick out my graduation dress."_

_"But I thought _I_ was going to help you with that…" This whining teenager was completely juxtaposed with the Kevin his son knew. _

_"You'll just tell me I look perfect in anything—and, while I love that about you, this is pretty much the most important day of my life. It has to be flawless," she replied as yet another smash could be heard. Kevin had stopped moving, leaving the only culprit left to blame as Ben. _

_"…Guys…? A little help? The smoothies are seeping into my underwear…" Came the weak plea from across the room. The picture scanned out to reveal the all-powerful wielder of the Ultimatrix crumpled out on the floor where he had, apparently, landed, covered from head to toe in a sticky, pink substance. A white Mr. Smoothy paper cup perched upside down in his brown hair, slowly sliding off amid the carnage. The camera began to shake as Kevin collapsed into laughter, before shutting down and ending the scene. _

* * *

Once again, Devlin paused, blinking. It was as though the boy he heard on camera was not his father—the violent, vengeful memories he had did not match these happy, peaceful ones belonging to someone else. And that's what they were, he realized: Gwendolyn's memories. Guiltily, he glanced at the clock. Not much time had passed, but he knew he should not be intruding like he was. He had crossed the line to somewhere forbidden—but by whom, he did not know. Despite the incessant need to stop before he stumbled upon something he would regret, Devlin quickly scrolled down the list and opened one of the later files, swearing to himself that this was the last one.

* * *

_The room was an eerie white—not cream, not ivory, not even linen; white. White from the walls to the floors to the sterile-looking sheets stretched too-tight over the railing-clad bed. Even the pale skin of the exhausted woman lying in said aforementioned bed seemed to match the overall color-scheme. The only stagger of color at all seemed to be the woman's flaming hair—the only giveaway telling Devlin who this was. She seemed ill—sweat lined her brow and purple rings sat, heavy, under her drooping eyes. Older. And yet, she was smiling—_glowing_, even. "We did it, Kevin," she breathed, beaming up at the man filming. Devlin began to understand what was happening as someone off-screen handed a small, blue-wrapped bundle to the woman lying prone in the hospital bed. Horrified and scared for so many reasons he couldn't place, the black-haired young boy could not bring himself to stop the movie—to end it there, leave the rest a mystery, and move on, back to the real world. He wanted to—oh, so desperately he wanted to—but some twisted fascination kept his eyes glued to the screen. "He's perfect."_

_"Yeah…" a low voice replied quietly, "Yeah, he is." _

_"Give Ben the camera, and come hold your son," for some reason, everyone was whispering, and even Devlin caught himself holding his breath. There was a shuffle, and soon a tall, dark-haired man appeared at the redhead's side, never once taking his eyes off the little bunch in her arms. This Kevin, though, was different than the younger man he had seen in the other locked-up memories—like Gwen, he had aged, but as he gazed at the woman and his son, there was a trace of sadness melded with the love and happiness. It was a look Devlin had only seen once before, so long ago, on a face he couldn't place…_

_A little awkwardly, he sat down on the hospital bed's edge, and waited for a moment, unsure of what to do. "Are you sure I won't break him? He's so small…" He sounded uncertain._

_"Everything will be fine, Kevin. With us as parents, he'll be able to survive anything—I think he can handle this," she smiled up at him, shifting ever so slightly, holding out the cocooned baby for him to take. As she did, the tangle of blue unraveled enough for a tiny, pale hand and a shock of midnight hair. Even as he took his son, Kevin remained unsure. "You're going to be a great father, I just know it."_

_"There's no way to know that—I'm probably going to screw this kid up worse than Ben was before he even makes it to ten," the weak attempt at humor was met only with a strained smile._

_"He will be perfect—he is perfect. Stop worrying," Gwen assured him, resting her exhausted head on his shoulders. The all-too-wrong scene froze as a moment in time, forever seared in the young boy's mind: two strangers, their eyes full of love and adoration, framing the newest part of their hearts. "Welcome to the family, Devlin," the redhead cooed, reaching out a finger as the baby yawned and opened his lids for the first time. "Kevin, he has your eyes…"_

* * *

**AN: Okay, so maybe it's _not_ done... I was hit with this sudden inspiration the other day, and decided to add a bit more to this story. There's only one more chapter after this, though. Hope you enjoy! (: Reviews are love. **


	4. The End

**4. The End**

_"Welcome to the family, Devlin," Gwen cooed, reaching out a finger as the baby yawned and opened his lids for the first time. "Kevin, he has your eyes…"_

As the recording came to a close, Devlin stared at the blacked screen, speechless, hurt, confused, devastated. Only when a light knock sounded at the door did he realize that his cheeks were dampened with tears, and he hastily scrubbed at his face with the sleeve of his nightshirt as the last voice he ever wanted to hear again called, "Devlin, honey, are you awake?" The raven-haired boy made to answer, but the only sound that managed to escape his thickly closed throat was a scratched grumble. Taking this as affirmation, the entrance opened to reveal Gwendolyn, dressed and ready for the day, smiling softly and bearing a tray of breakfast. The minute she saw his face, though, her expression changed, and she quickly sat the food on her dresser and rushed to his side. As she approached, though, Devlin curled away, backing farther into the spacious bed's headboard, laptop forgotten.

"You lied to me," his cracking voice was barely a whisper, but the sorceress heard it all the same. Still, she did not understand his meaning, even when the boy repeated himself, the accusation stronger this time. "You lied to me!"

She reached for him, sitting on the dark comforter to do so, but the motion disturbed the little computer, waking it from hibernation and colorizing the screen. "What's go—Oh, Devlin…" her hand flew to her mouth as what he had been viewing was revealed, and her usually composed mask crumpled, aging her features far too many years.

She simply stared, even as Kevin's son continued to accuse her. "You lied to me—Ben, Julie… everyone lied to me! Why? Why didn't you tell me the truth?" He was nearly yelling now, but when Gwendolyn failed to answer, he gave an angered cry and tumbled from the bed, needing only to get away. This seemed to break the redhead from her stupor, and she belatedly clawed after him, only able to watch as he paused at the threshold. "It's because you don't love me, isn't it? Because of my dad?" Never once did he look at her, hair falling before his eyes as fresh sadness dripped from his lids.

"Devlin—" But he was gone, rushing down the hall to his—was it even his anymore?—room, slamming the door with a force that shook the house. Having heard the disturbance, Ben and Julie were at the top of the stairs in moments. Those few seconds were all it took for Gwen to recompose herself—after such years of practice, it had become almost natural to hide pain, weakness, from others, even—especially—her own family.

"Is everything alright? What happened?" Ben questioned as soon as he saw his cousin sitting in the now-empty room.

"Yes, everything's fine," the redhead responded, standing to gather the forgotten tray of food. "Devlin isn't really feeling well this morning; we probably won't see much of him today." She shook her head, sighing.

"Really?" Julie replied, worried, glancing over toward her adoptive son's now-closed door. "Maybe I should…" She moved to check on him, but Gwen stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go see how he's doing. You guys head back down and make sure Kenny hasn't destroyed the kitchen yet," she smiled a little too brilliantly, making her cousin throw a skeptic look her way. Maybe she had been trying too hard for too long. Maybe she was slipping. "Don't worry; I'm sure he'll be much better in no time." Reluctantly, Julie family nodded, and Ben gently pulled her back to where they had emerged from. He knew something was wrong, but he had been close with Gwendolyn for long enough to understand when it was time to let her handle things. After a moment, the sorceress sighed, returning the little meal to its place. Devlin would not be eating this morning, and her own appetite was now stunted, replaced by a dreadful churning in her stomach as she quietly approached the closed door across the hall. She tapped lightly, and, when no response was heard, she tried again. "Devlin, please—talk to me. Let me in. It's not what you think." Once more, silence. The sorceress turned the knob, but was surprised to find it unlocked—she had expected more resistance. And yet, when she entered the room, she found it empty. A chilled breeze rustled through from an open window, ruffling the curtains.

He was gone, but, upon further inspection, she noticed that the young boy's hoverboard was missing, as well. For what felt like the hundredth time that already-much-too-long day, Gwendolyn sighed, releasing all of her frustration and sadness into the air. There was nothing to be done, now, except wait. He would be back soon—hopefully.

* * *

It did not take much to dissuade Ben and Kenny from disturbing Devlin—or where they _thought_ the raven-haired boy was. Julie, on the other hand, played the part of a loving, concerned mother perfectly, and required a tad more convincing. Gwendolyn had decided that it would be best if her cousin and his wife remained unaware of the chaos she had caused within their adopted son, opting instead to tell them that he was feeling superbly under the weather and did not want any company. She spent the say fielding questions and pretending to take care of the ailing young man until Ben was called away on a mission and Julie took Kenny to the arcade in an attempt to keep him entertained without his brother. Only when she had the house to herself did the sorceress allow for a moment of breathing, letting absolute concern-bordering-on-paranoia wash over her. It only took a moment for her to realize that there was nothing to be accomplished sitting at home, waiting for Devlin to return home… if he ever—no, she would not even consider wandering down that path of thought.

Newly resolved, she left a note for her cousin's wife, saying she had gone to run an errand for her nephew and that he still did not wish to be disturbed. Gwendolyn could only hope that it was enough to deter the Asian woman long enough for her to return to the base, companion in hand. Then, after making her way back upstairs to Devlin's room, she prepared to summon manna for a simple purpose she had not had the need for in a length of time that seemed far too good to be true—because if ever there _was_ the need to hone in on a loved one's specifically personal life-energy, it meant that they were in danger for one reason or another, whether it be with law on either the right or left side. Though he had not been living with the Tennysons very long, so much emotion had been poured out onto his tear-dotted, laughter-stained sheets, and the redhead easily gathered more than enough manna to locate her wayward young boy. Within a matter of minutes, she was recanting a teleportation spell, disappearing in a blinding sheen of magenta light.

When her own vision cleared and she had the chance to take in her surroundings, Gwen found herself in the last place she had ever suspected Devlin to be—there were too many memories, too much of a literal shadow cast across everything within a good mile radius of the narcissistically massive stone statue of the universe's hero, the magnificent and unforgettable Ben 10,000. Her cousin, the center of Devlin's new family. Though she was more than positive enough that the aforementioned young man was in the area, she could not see him within her immediate line of vision. Then again, she _was_ standing in a rather narrow, dimly lit alleyway, a simple, dark paradox held within the bright, jovial afternoon experienced by the rest of the bustling city. Not wanting to draw much attention to herself as the "savior's sidekick", she drew the navy hood of her still-too-conspicuous cloak over her head and stepped out into the thinning crowds, scanning as she went. Still, there was no sign of the missing boy.

Moments before she resolved to returning home for the purpose of re-locating Devlin, Gwendolyn's now wandering gaze found its way upward, and soon she was in possession of another idea. The raven-haired boy _had_ taken his hoverboard, had he not? And Gwen knew, perhaps better so than anyone would suspect, that some of the best hiding places the world had to offer were closer to the sky. With a new purpose, she gently made her way back to the alley, before constructing a small, camouflaged platform and ascending toward the tops of the surrounding buildings, hoping for a better vantage point. One again, she found herself face-to-face with the larger-than-life rendition of Ben, and she let an involuntary eyeroll penetrate the almost palpable aura of worry surrounding her. So focused was she on her own thoughts—a driven system to slip herself back into the shoes she had once worn when she, herself, had been feeling the betrayal and hurt similar to her nephew, trying to deduce where he could have hidden himself—that her keenly trained eyes nearly missed the misplaced, too-long shadow in the crook of stony Ben's raised arm. Another, more attentive pass exposed the dark mass to be something other than the blended night-in-the-day that she had initially mistaken it for, instead revealing the curled form of the very young man she, herself, was searching for.

Devlin's knees were tucked to a bent forehead, concealing his face from his aunt, though whether or not he was aware of her presence she had no idea. Gwendolyn chose to take it as a positive sign that he had not deserted his hiding space the moment he laid eyes on her, however, as she carefully formed in her mind a plan to go about approaching the fragile little child. Because, for all his strength, stubbornness, perseverance, invincibility, and inspiring bravery, that's who Devlin was, at the moment: simply himself—only a young boy, afraid of being hurt yet again in the short life that had already met so much more pain than anyone at so young an age should ever have to endure. Tucking a wayward lock of flaming hair behind her right ear, Gwendolyn sighed, her own scarred heart transcending nature and reaching for the boy, wanting nothing more in that moment to hold him close, give him the safety and love he deserved more than anyone, and tell him that things would—always—work out for the best reason. And yet, as she stood there, watching as his little body finally gave into the unbidden sobs that obviously wracked the still-too-thin frame and tormented the long-since-strained heart and mind, she could not help but hesitate, wondering within herself whether she was doing the right thing. Did he really need comfort, or did he only wish to be left alone?

As for most questions in life, there was only way to find out the true answer: taking the risk and jumping from the ledge, hoping that the answer appears to save one's life in time.

Slowly, quietly, as not to startle the grieving boy, Gwendolyn hovered to where Devlin was folding in upon himself. Only when her slipper-clad feet lightly touched down upon the stone some feet away and her upright body cast a shadow sideways near him did he seem to realize her presence, however. Still, he did not make any movement to flee—only stiffening and pausing for a moment in his audible tears. After a century-long second of aloofly watching against her better judgment, the redheaded sorceress gave into the long suppressed maternal instinct that had lain dormant inside of her hardened heart for far too long and reached to comfort him, pulling the now-limp Devlin into her arms as she deftly shifted herself under him, relieved that he gave no inclination to escape. Maybe he was too exhausted—emotionally and physically—to fight back, or maybe he simply no longer cared. Whether it was one, both, or neither, Gwendolyn did not question, and simply held him as his wailings died, his drenched eyes leaked themselves dry, and his spastic sniffles calmed themselves. Soon, the pair sat in a tense, if not stiltedly content, silence, each waiting for the other to speak. From her own experience, Gwen knew better than to push or pry, and simply waited for what needed to be said.

"Are you my mother?" it was nearly silent, softer than a breath of wind but carrying more raw emotion than any tormented scream. Gwen sighed buying her time by burying her face in the messily long hair of the child in her lap as she formulated her answer carefully.

"Do you want me to be your mother?" she asked, unsure of how much to tell the young one, but respecting that he had already seen so much in his lifetime. He was mature for his age, she thought for the second time that day. Too mature.

"That wasn't what I asked," Devlin shifted, looking up into her emerald eyes with his wide, puffy chocolate pair. "You and my… His name was Devlin. Your son was Devlin." Gwen dueled within herself, beating down the overpowering need to turn away, to block out the terrible memories eating away at her mind, fighting to break free from the bars she had trapped them behind in an effort to escape the agonizing past. "Are you my mother?" he asked again.

"I am not your biological mother, Devlin, no matter how much I wish with every bit of myself that that were not the case." She replied, her tone barely above the hint of a whisper. At her words, the boy in her arms sagged, eyes slipping closed in resigned defeat. He was a lie, then—a living lie, constantly reminding his aunt of… something. He wasn't sure exactly what, but he knew that there was no happy ending involved, and that there hadn't been for a while.

The silence seemed to go on for too long as she waited for him to speak, and, when he finally did, his words were stronger, but his tenor was hesitant, frightened, almost. "Will you tell me what happened?" Another pause as Gwendolyn gathered her thoughts, sucking in a breath too sharply as she was once again flooded with a deluge of pain that came unbidden, unwanted, unneeded. "Will you tell me who I am?" She could not answer that second question, no—that was something for Devlin to discover on his own, because no one could ever make him anything other than what he willed himself to be.

"A lifetime and a half ago, things were different—so different. Your father was a good man, Devlin; never doubt that. And, even after everything he has put me through—put you thought—put our _family_ through, I still believe that, somewhere, buried within the mind so far gone it may not even truly be his anymore, that goodness still lingers. But many, many years before your time, there was no need for that doubt.

"Kevin had lived his share of rough beginnings, but, as time marched forward, his misgivings were forgiven and he made a new life for himself—a better life. He ingrained himself in the lives of Ben and I, and wormed his way into our family. And into my heart." Gwen gave a small, empty chuckle, and shook her head, blind to the present as she and Devlin became lost in the cobweb-covered past. "Gwen Tennyson and Kevin Levin, completely juxtaposed to one another, and yet still the perfect match. Everyone thought I had lost my mind to be with him, and, when I agreed to marry him years after we had reunited from our raucous youth-days, there was actual question put to my mental stability. But, being the fiery redhead I was, I went with my heart and started the perfect life. I was so happy; so, so happy.

"We spent too much of our time apart that first year thanks to his job with the Plumbers—back then, I was still at home on earth, having given up the hero calling in pursuit of a more normal existence. During the day, I worked part time, and during the evenings I attended college. It wasn't necessary, but it kept be busy while he was away. I had never liked coming home to an empty house after living with such a large family always close by… I still don't, actually, but we adapt as our lives change." She paused again, recollecting her thoughts. Devlin sat perfectly still, entranced in the story, lost in the memories. The voice of his… —aunt? Who was she, really, anymore?—captivated him, and he recognized too many of the raw feelings that leaked through her normally carefully-concealed speech, now unguarded as she subjected herself to this.

"I remember being so excited when I discovered I was pregnant. There had always been the possibility that we would never be able to have children—an Osmosian and an Anodite? An energy-absorber and an energy-being? It was unheard of; an unspoken rule of the universe that the two did not—would never—mix. But it seemed that there was enough human in both of our DNA to be that one in three trillion; to act as a buffer. It was amazing… spectacular. Kevin got himself assigned permanently to Earth's sector so he wouldn't be away as much, if hardly ever. We moved into a real house, rather than the apartment above his garage. Those nine months had their ups and downs, just as any _normal_ pregnancy would, with the added bonus of weird alien side-effects." Gwendolyn grinned, thinking back to happier times, "I remember, once, closer to my due date, my hormones were going so crazy because of the foreign genes in my system that I accidently absorbed part of Grandpa Max's coffee table. I had a wooden hand for the better part of the day, before Kevin calmed me down enough to help me let the energy dissipate. That only happened once or twice more, but it was quite a shock for all of us, needless to say.

"You… you already know what happened when Devlin was born, so I won't go into much detail about that night. But, oh, it was wonderful. _Kevin_ was wonderful. As afraid as he was of everything he saw himself as—a criminal, a villain—he was the perfect father, the perfect husband. Maybe my mind has made me remember only what I want to believe, but I will never doubt that he loved our son. Or that he loved _you_, Devlin, in the only way he knows how to anymore." She looked down at the boy in her arms, unwanted tears clouding her vision as she unmasked herself in front of someone who never should have had to see. Devlin gazed back at her, his own eyes shining, far from ready to agree but too caught off guard to protest.

"Devlin was two years old when it happened… it was an accident, in no way Kevin's fault…" her voice cracked, and Gwendolyn realized that she was truly crying now. There had been too much pain at the time to ever really shed real tears—tears _only_ for her son, and not for her husband or herself or the happiness they had lost meshed in with them. But now; now, as she held the little child in her arms that _was_ her son in so many ways, _yet would never really be_ her son, she gave herself that moment of pure grief. "One of Ben's enemies had made themselves Kevin's, as well, but that was back when times were changing. Aliens and humans were beginning to mix for the first time, and there was so much fear involved. Because man has a tendency to be afraid of what he does not understand, and with those feelings comes desperation… and desperation leads to violence. This particular human had chosen to believe the worst of the Plumbers and what we stood for, and had rallied his own personal rag-tag force to drive us off the planet by whatever means necessary. He… he and his men attacked our home one night. I managed to make it to Devlin's room to protect him from the fire, but then—" a choked sob stopped her, but after a moment she salvaged what little composure she had left and continued, "but then the ceiling began caving. The smoke was already getting to me, and it only took a few slabs of sheetrock and tile for my shield to start cracking. I was halfway through my transportation incantation when the upstairs bed broke through what little ceiling above us there was, and I wasn't expecting it. My manna crumbled, taking me with it.

"I… I don't remember much after that. When I woke up, I was in the Plumbers' medical ward on the Station, and it was around a week later. My whole family was there, waiting for me to wake up. Well, I had _thought_ my whole family… I recall asking for Devlin, over and over again. No one would look at me. But then I saw Kevin, and I _knew._ He… he had never cried. Not when we were married, not when Devlin was born… and yet _there were tears in his eyes_. It was so… wrong. So unfair. After everything we had—_he_ had suffered in life, and then…" This time, it was burning fury that stopped her speech. She knew she was tightening her grip on the boy in her lap a tad more than she should have, but he said nothing. Maybe he understood that this was a time that was as much for Gwendolyn as it was for him. A moment of healing, cleansing of the past with truth's revelation and pressure into the light of reality.

"After that, things were never the same. Never. But why would they have been? No parent should ever, ever outlive their child. Kevin… couldn't cope. Having so much in his life taken from him, he started to take himself from life. Drinking wasn't enough, and too soon he was breaking the cardinal rule that had been set in stone from the time even before we were teenagers. The energy gave him an escape from his pain, but, the more he absorbed, the less himself he became. He started to lose his sanity once again. Perceptions fogged, and suddenly there wasn't a need for right and wrong anymore—just the consuming wanting of _more_. Less than a year and a half after Devlin's death, he crossed the line. Kevin rampaged, there's no need to say any more. He had to be locked up, sent back to the hell he had lived through as a child." The boy in her arms stirred, bringing her back to reality. The sorceress's left foot was beginning to lose feeling, and she blinked, noticing that the shadows the unlikely pair had sought refuge in were stretching themselves. It was getting late.

"I don't know who gave birth you, Devlin, but, if you want to find your mother, I will help you. I want you to know, though—I will always love you, even if you aren't my own. You have a family here with Ben, Julie, Kenny; no matter where you came from or what your past is. But your past does not define you—it is how you _chose_ to live on _in spite of_ your history that defines who you are, and nothing else." Small, strong arms wrapped themselves around her neck, and no more words needed to be said. All of the emotion that words were no longer worthy to capture molded themselves into that one gesture, and there was nothing left to do but bask in the comfort of each other, mother holding up child while child gave strength to mother.

"But _why_, Gwen?" he asked finally. "_Why_?" She knew what answer he wanted from her, and yet she had no idea how to respond in any way other than the truth.

"Kevin, despite whatever intentions he may have had, was—is—mentally… gone. You became something to him that you would never be—he tried to force you to be what he had lost. And when you continued to exist as something, someone, he thought you shouldn't be, be brought down whatever means necessary to mold you into his twisted idea of… of _a son_. He was _wrong_, so wrong, and—though I will always love him against my own better judgment, nature, common sense, every rational ounce of my being—I will never, _never_ forgive him for what he did to you." He seemed satisfied with her answer; sated, at least, and the pair lapsed once more into a comfortable semi-silence as they watched three birds of prey performing a lethal ballet through the clouds, each lost in their own thoughts.

What could have been minutes or hours later—neither really knew how long they sat there—Gwen's Plumber's Badge let out a shrill ring, causing both she and Devlin to flinch and come crashing down to reality. "What's up, Ben?" she answered, clearing her voice and trying her best to sound as calm and collected as possible.

_Devlin's not in his room, Gwen! Is he with you? Is he okay? Is he feeling be—_Ben's voice was cut off as Julie grabbed the receiver on their end.

_Please tell me you have him, Gwen! He's not anywhere in the base, and—_

"Julie, Julie, he's fine. He's here with me; I took him with me when I went to run my errands. You and Ben need to calm down." Gwendolyn rolled her eyes and shot a pointed look toward the boy in her lap, but Devlin did not see. He was busy staring at the little black and green device with a strange look on his face—perplexed, relieved… happy? She smiled, gently nudging him to his feet.

_But your note said—_

"Yes, yes, I know what I wrote down. I'm sorry, I came back to the house and he wanted some fresh air. I didn't think we would be gone as long as we were, so I didn't revise my message. Listen, we'll be home in a moment. You can scold me then, okay?" She didn't wait for a reply before shutting down her Badge and turning to Devlin, kneeling so she was his level and looking him in the eye. "Are you ready to go home?" There was a second of hesitation, before he nodded, gazing back into her windows-to-the-soul with such ancient sincerity that she could not help but wonder that there was some other, deeper meaning tucked behind his answer. Still, she made no move to get up, knowing that there was still so much left unsaid.

"Gwendolyn, I…" the raven-haired young boy furrowed his brow, trying to convey something to the woman before him that he just could not find the words to say. "I… Thank you."

Without warning, she pulled him into one last hug, holding him tight, pouring onto him so much feeling and warmth and welcoming and _family_ that he was almost overwhelmed. "I know," she whispered, smiling, "I love you, too."

**FIN**

* * *

**AN: Wow, I can't believe this is finally finished... I'm sorry that there was such a long wait between chapters, but hopefully it was worth it all. Remember, this story isn't Beta-ed, so any constructive criticism is gladly welcomed. I'll fix any errors as needed. **

**Thank you so much to everyone who supported me while I was writing this story- all your wonderful reviews, favorites, and alerts are what kept me writing! You guys are absolutely amazing! (:**


End file.
